Granite Ware 0730-2 Pressure Canner/Cooker/Steamer Review

Pressure canning is about maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Pressure canning allows us to preserve the important minerals, vitamins and nutrients in our foods, while at the same time allowing us to do so in an economical way that can trace its origins back to the Napoleonic wars.

Pressure canning allows us to safely store vegetables, meats, fruits and other foods for long periods of time without them spoiling. When we think of summer and we think of autumn, we often think of the seasonal fruit and vegetables that just do not taste the same at other times of the year.

Pressure canning allows us to capture those delicious flavors; allowing us to enjoy the seasonal flavors all year round.

About The Product

Granite Ware can trace its origin to its founding in 1871, when they provided enamel coated cookware made by fusing porcelain and steel. Granite Ware is justifiably proud of its’ history providing naturally non-stick cookware that is free from unhealthy chemicals.

We believe that if you want a good quality pressure canner/cooker/steamer made by a company with almost 150 years of proud history in America, then Granite Ware may be exactly what you are looking for.

Features Of The Granite Ware Pressure Canner/Cooker/Steamer

Granite Ware provides several features that make its pressure canner/cooker/steamer well worth considering.

20 quart capacity

constructed from a heavy gauge hard anodized aluminum

an adjustable three-piece pressure regulator set for 5, 10 and 15 PSI.

What We Like

When it comes to shopping around for a pressure canner/cooker/steamer, the Granite Ware Pressure Canner has a simplicity to it, that is reassuring.

Part of the reason that the Granite Ware Pressure Canner/Cooker/Steamer is such a reasonable price is the result of its simplicity. This one item can act as either a can, a cooker or a steamer; which may not seem overly simple, however there is an elegant simplicity in its design. We believe that simplicity can be highly underrated sometimes.

A simple device has less parts to go wrong, therefore we believe that the Granite Ware Canner/Cooker/Steamer is not only available at a great price but also capable of lasting a long time. Now that’s a feature we definitely believe is worth having.

Another feature we really like about the Granite Ware Pressure Canner/Cooker/Steamer is the hard-anodized aluminum finish. Reviewers certainly felt that this gave a nicer finish than other canners available on the market, some of which only had a polished aluminum finish.

An anodized aluminum finish versus polished aluminum finish is really just a matter of personal choice, however if you like the look of an anodized aluminum finish, then Granite Ware’s Canner is definitely worth considering.

One of the nice things about Granite Ware’s pressure canner/cooker/steamer is that it meets reviewers’ expectations. The majority of reviewers bought this product with expectations about what that entailed and they were most certainly not disappointed.

What We Do Not Like

While the instruction manual was described by one reviewer as being “precise and to the point” several reviewers felt that the instruction manual was generic and could have been more useful.

While a detailed instruction manual with while a detailed instruction manual with many useful recipes would be wonderful, ultimately such resources are freely available on YouTube and other Internet sites. Certainly, there are some good books available with comprehensive recipes both the beginner and experienced pressure canner alike.

Having a 20 quart capacity this pressure canner/cooker/steamer may hold slightly less than its comparably sized competitors. On the grand scheme of things 1 or 2 quart difference is unlikely to be significant.

Unlike many other pressure canners/cookers/steamers is on the market, the Granite Ware Pressure Canner/Cooker/Steamer does not have a pressure gauge provided, making it difficult to determine what the actual pressure is.

It does come with an adjustable three-piece pressure regulator system which has been calibrated at the standard 5, 10 and 15 PSI. While the presence of a pressure gauge may be reassuring to many, in reality it serves no real need, other than needing to be calibrated annually to ensure that the gauge is still accurate.

For some people, the absence of the pressure gauge is going to be a deal breaker. We don’t feel that the absence of a pressure gauge is a deal breaker since a pressure gauge is really just one more thing that can go wrong.

Like many of its competitors, the Granite Ware Pressure Canner/Cooker/Steamer is unable to be safely used on a glass top range. While this is regrettable, it is certainly not uncommon amongst pressure canners. An easy solution may be to purchase a portable electric element plate or a suitable gas burner.

Conclusion

Some people are going to be put off by Granite Ware’s lack of a pressure gauge however the real strength of Granite Ware’s pressure canner/cooker/steamer is this very simplicity which should make it capable of lasting a very long time.

Certainly, a single piece of kitchen cookware able to function as a pressure canner and a cooker and a steamer is definitely value for money in our opinion. If you are looking for an easy to use, simple pressure canner, that is likely to last a very long time, then Granite Ware’s pressure canner/cooker/steamer may be just what you are looking for.